mcfarlane



(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet; 1;

J. MOPAR ANE'. HYDRAULIC DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 401,896. Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

. E; 551 If: @Wsomq N PETERS, pmouum n mrjwmmmm m1 (No Model.) I 3Sheets-Sm 2'. J. MOFARL ANE;

HYDRAULIC DREDGING MACHINE.

N 401,896. Patented Apr. 23, 1889'.

qwitwedoeo guana dot,

.. r; MW

(NoMod'eL) 3 Sheets-She'et 3.. J, MOFARLANE.- I

HYDRAULIC DRBDGING MACHINE. I No. 401,896. Patented Apr. 23, 1889..

witme/abzo, I I W yawoewtoz,

I I I I 3513 61mm,

UNITED STATES PATE T ()EFICE.

'JoHN MCFARLANE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNCR, BYDIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF PART To GEORGE J. BESSLER AND HENRY wX, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC DREDGlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,896, dated April23, 1889 Application filed 'lpril 6, 1888. Serial No.269,891. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MCFARLANE, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in HydraulicDredgingMachines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to hydraulic dredges, and has for its object toimprove the effectiven ess, simplify the construction, cheapen the cost,and economize the power and fuel used in running such machines.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view inend elevation of adredge having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe parts shown in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview show ing the manner of connecting and controlling the movement ofthe telescope-tubes. Fig. 4 is avertical section through one of thecutters. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of part of the cutter-shaft, showingthe manner of attaching the cutters thereto. Fig. 6 is a view similar tothat shown in Fig. 4, showing a modification thereof; and Fig. 7 is aView of another modification;

the length of the width of the hull. This box is lowered into the waterand rests on the bottom or earth, the bottom of the box being open. Inthis box is journaled a shaft, 1), extending athwart the hull andlongitudinally of the box, having secured to it a series of knives orstirrers, bl), said shaft being driven by means of suitable gear-wheels,c 0 cl cl, an upright sliding shaft, 0, and a suitable horizontal shaft,D, said shaft D being driven by any suitable power on board the dredge.This box B has extending from it two pipes, E F, connecting with theusual centrifugal pump on the dredge. These pipes, in order toaccommodate the different depths of water and still preserve a properconnection with the box B, are each formed with two or more (in thisinstance of three) telescoping sections, E E E and F F F, the outersections, E and F being connected to the box B, and inner sectionsforming part of the main pipes E F. Each of these sections is providedat its top with a flange marked, respectively, e e 6 and To the flangese f on sections E F are secured rods E F, which extend upward throughthe holes in the flanges e f on sections E F, and to flanges 6 aresecured upwardlyextending rods E F passing through holes in flanges e fin a similar manner. These rods are threaded a part of their lengths,and are provided with nuts F. F to limit the outward adjustment of theseveral telescopic sections; or, instead of threading the rods they maybe made smooth, and unthreaded nuts having set screws to bear againstthe rod may be used. To the flanges e f of the outer telescopic sectionsare at tached chains G H, which mounted over pulleys G H, mounted at thetop of a suitable frame-work, I, raised on the deck of the dredge, passdown and are connected to drums g h, whose shafts are provided on theend with a belt-pulley,K L, whereby they may be driven fromthe power ofthe dredge, and on the other end with cranks K L, whereby they may beturned by hand. They are further provided with ratchet-wheels 70 Z andpawls is Z, as shown.

The operation of my invention may be described as follows: The dredgebeing in position, the box B is lowered by means of the chains andpulleys, the cutter-shaft is revolved, causing the cutters to plow, cut,or stir up the bottom, and the pumps being started the mixture of sandor mud and water is carried up through the pipes and delivered therefromat any desired point. The box gradually lowers until the proper depth isdredged,when it may be raised and moved into another position to repeatthe operation. This may be done also without raising by leaving thefront of the box open and push ing it forward into the bank. A largesurface can thus be dredged over before it is necessary to move, the boxbeing, as before stated, of a length equal or perhaps greater than thewidth of the dredge.

There may,if desired, be two parallel shafts in the box, each carryingthe cutters, thus about doubling the capacity in each position of thedredge, and allowing of the movement of twice as much earth beforemoving the dredge to another position.

I havenot shown the various ways that the parts herein described may beconnected with the power (usually steam-engines) on the dredge, as manyvariations might be madein such connections without in any way affectingmy invention, such changes suggesting themselves to the machinist orengineer according to the necessities of each particular case.

In the views of modifications of means of attachment of the cutters tothe shaft, Figs. 4, 6, and 7, it will be seen that the cutters arerigidly held thereon by simple means, and may be removed or adjusted inposition with great facility. In Fig. 4 a lower piece is secured to themain body by two bolts passing through a flange on each side. In Fig. 7two bolts are also used, but differently arranged; but in Fig. 6 onlyone bolt is used, a hinge being used instead of the other bolt shown inFig. 4.

It will be observed that the cutter-blades are not arranged in the arcof a circle which has the axis of rotation of the shaft as a center; butthe center of their arcs is without the shaft to the left thereof, asshown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7, so that the cutters while cutting the earthat the same time act as plows and throw the dirt inward and upward,causing its thorough intermixture with the water.

Openings are made in the box or case, which may be regulated by valves,so that water will be admitted, and all tendency to form a vacuum berelieved.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a hydraulic dredge, a box or case, telescopic suction-pipesleading therefrom, and a shaft journaled horizontally within said box orcase, in combination with alternating cutters bolted to said shaft andadapted to rotate in a vertical plane, each of said cutters having itscenter beyond the axis of rotation of the shaft, as and for the purposesset forth.

2. In a dredging-machine, the combination, with a vertically-movablebox, a shaft journaled horizontally therein, and cutters on said shaft,of telescopic suction-pipes, each of the sections of which is providedwith a proj ection, guiding and controlling rods on either side of eachof said pipes, one of which rods is bolted to the projection of theintermediate section of the pipe and passes through the projection onthe upper section thereof, and the other of which rods is secured to theprojection on the bottom section of the pipe and passes through theprojection on the intermediate section thereof, all substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

3. In a dredging-machine, a vertically-movable box or case, a shaftjournaled horizontally therein, and alternating cutters secured oneither side of said shaft, the blades of which are curved in the arcs ofcircles whose centers fall without the axis of rotation of said shaft,in combination with telescopic suctionpipes each of the sections ofwhich is formed with a projection at its upper end, guiding andcontrolling rods on opposite sides of said suction-pipes, andrespectively secured to different sections thereof, means for raisingand lowering the box or case, and means for operatin g the shaftcarrying the cutters, all substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

4:. In a dredging-machine, a cutter the extremity of the shank of whichis formed with projections extending obliquely in opposite directions,and one of which has a perforated lip, and a correspondingly shapedpiece hinged to one of said projections, whereby a rectangular openingwill be formed, as shown, and also having a perforated lip, and a boltpassing through said lips, for the purpose set forth, in combinationwith a horizontal shaft passing through the rectangular opening of thecutter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MCFARLANE.

Witnesses SHIPLEY BRASHEARS, FRED R. CORNWALL.

ICC

